Download or read book Oh What a Paradise It Seems written by John Cheever and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2010-07-26 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From one of the most renowned twentieth-century American writers, this “luminous ephiphany of life ... [is] a charming fable of old age, nostalgia, and loss” (The Washington Post Book World). Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Cheever's final novel is a fable set in a village so idyllic it has no fast-food outlet and having as its protagonist an old man, Lemuel Sears, who still has it in him to fall wildly in love with strangers of both sexes. But Sears's paradise is threatened; the pond he loves is being fouled by unscrupulous polluters. In Cheever's accomplished hands the battle between an elderly romantic and the monstrous aspects of late-twentieth-century civilization becomes something ribald, poignant, and ineffably joyful. "This is perfect Cheever—it is perfect." —The New York Times Book Review
Download or read book What Strange Paradise written by Omar El Akkad and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2021-07-20 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR • From the widely acclaimed, bestselling author of American War—a beautifully written, unrelentingly dramatic, and profoundly moving novel that looks at the global refugee crisis through the eyes of a child. "Told from the point of view of two children, on the ground and at sea, the story so astutely unpacks the us-versus-them dynamics of our divided world that it deserves to be an instant classic." —The New York Times Book Review More bodies have washed up on the shores of a small island. Another overfilled, ill-equipped, dilapidated ship has sunk under the weight of its too many passengers: Syrians, Ethiopians, Egyptians, Lebanese, Palestinians, all of them desperate to escape untenable lives back in their homelands. But miraculously, someone has survived the passage: nine-year-old Amir, a Syrian boy who is soon rescued by Vänna. Vänna is a teenage girl, who, despite being native to the island, experiences her own sense of homelessness in a place and among people she has come to disdain. And though Vänna and Amir are complete strangers, though they don’t speak a common language, Vänna is determined to do whatever it takes to save the boy. In alternating chapters, we learn about Amir’s life and how he came to be on the boat, and we follow him and the girl as they make their way toward safety. What Strange Paradise is the story of two children finding their way through a hostile world. But it is also a story of empathy and indifference, of hope and despair—and about the way each of those things can blind us to reality.
Download or read book Paradise written by Toni Morrison and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2014-03-11 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The acclaimed Nobel Prize winner challenges our most fiercely held beliefs as she weaves folklore and history, memory and myth into an unforgettable meditation on race, religion, gender, and a far-off past that is ever present—in prose that soars with the rhythms, grandeur, and tragic arc of an epic poem. “They shoot the white girl first. With the rest they can take their time.” So begins Toni Morrison’s Paradise, which opens with a horrifying scene of mass violence and chronicles its genesis in an all-black small town in rural Oklahoma. Founded by the descendants of freed slaves and survivors in exodus from a hostile world, the patriarchal community of Ruby is built on righteousness, rigidly enforced moral law, and fear. But seventeen miles away, another group of exiles has gathered in a promised land of their own. And it is upon these women in flight from death and despair that nine male citizens of Ruby will lay their pain, their terror, and their murderous rage. “A fascinating story, wonderfully detailed. . . . The town is the stage for a profound and provocative debate.” —Los Angeles Times
Download or read book This Is Paradise written by Kristiana Kahakauwila and published by Hogarth. This book was released on 2013-07-09 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Elegant, brutal, and profound—this magnificent debut captures the grit and glory of modern Hawai'i with breathtaking force and accuracy. In a stunning collection that announces the arrival of an incredible talent, Kristiana Kahakauwila travels the islands of Hawai'i, making the fabled place her own. Exploring the deep tensions between local and tourist, tradition and expectation, façade and authentic self, This Is Paradise provides an unforgettable portrait of life as it’s truly being lived on Maui, Oahu, Kaua'i and the Big Island. In the gut-punch of “Wanle,” a beautiful and tough young woman wants nothing more than to follow in her father’s footsteps as a legendary cockfighter. With striking versatility, the title story employs a chorus of voices—the women of Waikiki—to tell the tale of a young tourist drawn to the darker side of the city’s nightlife. “The Old Paniolo Way” limns the difficult nature of legacy and inheritance when a patriarch tries to settle the affairs of his farm before his death. Exquisitely written and bursting with sharply observed detail, Kahakauwila’s stories remind us of the powerful desire to belong, to put down roots, and to have a place to call home.
Download or read book A Paradise Built in Hell written by Rebecca Solnit and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2010-08-31 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author of Men Explain Things to Me explores the moments of altruism and generosity that arise in the aftermath of disaster Why is it that in the aftermath of a disaster? whether manmade or natural?people suddenly become altruistic, resourceful, and brave? What makes the newfound communities and purpose many find in the ruins and crises after disaster so joyous? And what does this joy reveal about ordinarily unmet social desires and possibilities? In A Paradise Built in Hell, award-winning author Rebecca Solnit explores these phenomena, looking at major calamities from the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco through the 1917 explosion that tore up Halifax, Nova Scotia, the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. She examines how disaster throws people into a temporary utopia of changed states of mind and social possibilities, as well as looking at the cost of the widespread myths and rarer real cases of social deterioration during crisis. This is a timely and important book from an acclaimed author whose work consistently locates unseen patterns and meanings in broad cultural histories.
Download or read book To Paradise written by Hanya Yanagihara and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2022-01-11 with total page 720 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: #1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • From the award-winning, best-selling author of the classic A Little Life—a bold, brilliant novel spanning three centuries and three different versions of the American experiment, about lovers, family, loss and the elusive promise of utopia. A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: VOGUE • ESQUIRE • NPR • GOODREADS To Paradise is a fin de siècle novel of marvelous literary effect, but above all it is a work of emotional genius. The great power of this remarkable novel is driven by Yanagihara’s understanding of the aching desire to protect those we love—partners, lovers, children, friends, family, and even our fellow citizens—and the pain that ensues when we cannot. In an alternate version of 1893 America, New York is part of the Free States, where people may live and love whomever they please (or so it seems). The fragile young scion of a distinguished family resists betrothal to a worthy suitor, drawn to a charming music teacher of no means. In a 1993 Manhattan besieged by the AIDS epidemic, a young Hawaiian man lives with his much older, wealthier partner, hiding his troubled childhood and the fate of his father. And in 2093, in a world riven by plagues and governed by totalitarian rule, a powerful scientist’s damaged granddaughter tries to navigate life without him—and solve the mystery of her husband’s disappearances. These three sections comprise an ingenious symphony, as recurring notes and themes deepen and enrich one another: A townhouse in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village; illness, and treatments that come at a terrible cost; wealth and squalor; the weak and the strong; race; the definition of family, and of nationhood; the dangerous righteousness of the powerful, and of revolutionaries; the longing to find a place in an earthly paradise, and the gradual realization that it can’t exist. What unites not just the characters, but these Americas, are their reckonings with the qualities that make us human: Fear. Love. Shame. Need. Loneliness.
Download or read book What Happens in Paradise written by Elin Hilderbrand and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2019-10-03 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE PERFECT COUPLE, NOW A MAJOR NETFLIX SERIES *** 'Hilderbrand's books keep getting better and better' Bookreporter 'The queen regent of the easy-breezy summer novel' New York Post *** Secret lives and new loves emerge in the bright Caribbean sunlight . . . A year ago, Irene Steele had the shock of her life: her loving husband, father to their grown sons and successful businessman, was killed in a plane crash. But that wasn't Irene's only shattering news: he'd also been leading a double life on the island of St. John, where another woman loved him, too. Now Irene and her sons are back on St. John, determined to learn the truth about the mysterious life - and death - of a man they thought they knew. Along the way, they're about to learn some surprising truths about their own lives, and their futures. Lush with the tropical details, romance and drama, What Happens in Paradise is another immensely satisfying page-turner from one of the world's most beloved and engaging storytellers.
Download or read book A Little Piece of Paradise written by T. A Williams and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2023-06-13 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this story of romance and sisterhood, Sophie learns that the inheritance of a lifetime sometimes comes with a catch. When Sophie’s uncle leaves her a castle on the Italian Riviera in his will, she can’t believe her luck. The catch? She and her estranged sister, Rachel, must live there together for three months in order to inherit it. A cheating Italian ex soon learns of Sophie’s return and wants to rekindle their spark, but Sophie realizes that distance does make the heart grow fonder—for her friend back home, Chris, who becomes more to her than just a friend. But does he feel the same? This beautiful story is perfect for fans of Alex Brown and Lucy Coleman.
Download or read book A Kind of Paradise written by Amy Rebecca Tan and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2019-04-30 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Read the book that Ali Standish (author of The Ethan I Was Before) calls "a heartwarming story" and Melissa Roske (author of Kat Greene Comes Clean) calls "a joyful, heartfelt debut!" Thirteen-year-old Jamie Bunn made a mistake at the end of the school year. A big one. And every kid in her middle school knows all about it. Now she has to spend her summer vacation volunteering at the local library—as punishment. What a waste of a summer! Or so she thinks. A Kind of Paradise is an unforgettable story about the power of community, the power of the library, and the power of forgiveness.
Download or read book Accidental Paradise a Natural Political and Social History of Presque Isle written by David Frew and published by . This book was released on 2020-12-07 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To coincide with the celebration of Presque Isle State Park's 100-year anniversary in 2021, "Accidental Paradise: A Natural, Political, and Social History of Presque Isle" is targeted for publication by the Jefferson Educational Society in November 2020. Written by Erie historian David Frew with images coordinated and photographed by historian Jerry Skrypzak, the book marks the fifth collaboration by the two authors. Publication follows a three-year project in which Frew and Skrypzak address the geological formation of the peninsula, its natural history, and colorful political history leading to its creation as a state park. It also features the many people, events, and roles played by Erie's peninsula to the present day. Included is naval history, ecology, the Presque Isle Lighthouse, the story of famous squatter Joe Root, the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, Waldameer Park, fishing, environmental issues, the forerunners of the U.S. Coast Guard, and much more.
Download or read book Winter in Paradise written by Elin Hilderbrand and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2018-10-09 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A husband's secret life, a wife's new beginning: escape to the Caribbean with #1 New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand. Irene Steele shares her idyllic life in a beautiful Iowa City Victorian house with a husband who loves her to sky-writing, sentimental extremes. But as she rings in the new year one cold and snowy night, everything she thought she knew falls to pieces with a shocking phone call: her beloved husband, away on business, has been killed in a helicopter crash. Before Irene can even process the news, she must first confront the perplexing details of her husband's death on the distant Caribbean island of St. John. After Irene and her sons arrive at this faraway paradise, they make yet another shocking discovery: her husband had been living a secret life. As Irene untangles a web of intrigue and deceit, and as she and her sons find themselves drawn into the vibrant island culture, they have to face the truth about their family, and about their own futures. Rich with the lush beauty of the tropics and the drama, romance, and intrigue only Elin Hilderbrand can deliver, Winter in Paradise is a truly transporting novel, and the exciting start to a new series. "I will just say that, 24 hours after I started this book, I purchased its sequel, What Happens in Paradise, and I did not leave either book to be enjoyed by strangers at the end of my vacation." —Elisabeth Egan, New York Times
Download or read book Paradise written by Mark Cahill and published by . This book was released on 2013-04-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Josh expects to find paradise as he sets out for a relaxing trip to Hawaii to join three of his old friends from college, but what if their week in paradise is interrupted in a way that few of us can imagine?
Download or read book This Side of Paradise written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and published by The Floating Press. This book was released on 2009-04-01 with total page 503 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Side of Paradise is a novel about post-World War I youth and their morality. Amory Blaine is a young Princeton University student with an attractive face and an interest in literature. His greed and desire for social status warp the theme of love weaving through the story.
Download or read book Plain Paradise written by Beth Wiseman and published by HarperChristian + ORM. This book was released on 2010-03-03 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Josephine will discover more than she bargained for as her world collides with the Plain people of Lancaster County. Josephine Dronberger was a scared teenager when she left her baby in the care of an Old Order Amish couple. But seventeen years have passed and Josie longs to reconnect with her daughter. Lindaùas the couple named the childùis promised to Stephen Ebersol, the bishopÆs grandson. They plan to marry in the fall. When her birth mother comes to Paradise, Linda is drawn to a world sheÆs never known. Will the direction sheÆs been heading since birth be suddenly derailed, and who will stand by her convictionsùmother or daughter?
Download or read book The Paradise Trilogy written by Elin Hilderbrand and published by Back Bay Books. This book was released on 2021-10-26 with total page 1024 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Three bestselling novels from "the beach-book queen" (People)--now available in an attractive and gift-worthy boxed set. Elin Hilderbrand's Paradise novels--Winter in Paradise, What Happens in Paradise, and Troubles in Paradise--tell the story of a woman who must start anew after her idyllic life is shattered by her husband's death in a plane crash in the Caribbean. When Irene Steele and her two sons arrive on St. John days after the tragedy, they make a shocking discovery: the man they knew as a loving husband and father was in fact living a double life. As the Steeles slowly untangle his web of lies, they face the truth about their family and their own futures. Rich with the lush beauty of the tropics, the Paradise trilogy transports us to an island paradise and unfolds a mesmerizing tale of drama, romance, and intrigue that only Elin Hilderbrand could deliver.
Download or read book A Paradise Called Texas written by Janice Jordan Shefelman and published by Eakin Press. This book was released on 2014-10-01 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bluebonnet Award Nominee. - Searching for a better life, Mina, Papa, and Mama left their German fatherland aboard the brig Margaretha, bound for Texas. They had been told it was the paradise of North America, but when Mina steps onto the desolate beach at Indian Point on a cold December day in 1845, she wants to go back to Germany and Opa's cozy house in the village of Wehrestedt. But go on they must. In spite of mama's tragic death, Mina and Papa push inland with the Kaufmann family to the Texas hill country. There Mina encounters an Indian chief and his young daughter, Amaya, whose help she needs when Papa falls ill. Based on her ancestors' immigration to Texas, Janice Shefelman tells of a journey into the wilderness that is filled with hardship, tragedy and adventure . . . young readers will glimpse a fascinating view of what life in early Texas was like for German settlers.Texas
Download or read book Paradise Updated written by Mic Looby and published by Hardie Grant Publishing. This book was released on 2009 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are precious few places in the world stilluntouched by the marauding tourist. Paradise Lost? Chance would be a fine thing. Paradise Very-Well-Trodmore like it. Paradise Packaged, Paradise Marketed. Paradise Sold in Easy-to-Enjoy Portions. And if there's money to be made shining light onto the dark corners ofthe world, SmallWorld|™ wrote the book on it. Robert Rind is a legend in guidebook circles. He'swillful, individual, and resolutely old-school; definitelynot one to follow the corporate trail.
